graham slee voyager review

Mr. Graham Slee on The Voyager

Having reviewed a lot of portable amps, I also noticed that ultimately the power a portable amplifier has is limited to the voltage rating of the power supply. Since the Graham Slee Voyager accepts up to a 24V supply, I am curious on what kind of power can the Voyager deliver, when connected to a 24V supply. Mr. Slee explains that the voltage regulator inside the Voyager circuitry would equalize either the 5V and the 24V supplies to the default 9V level.

Here are his own words on the auto-gain: “As with all our headphone amplifiers the Voyager uses our “auto-adjusting” technique where it adjusts its overall gain to suit the load impedance. Here is a list showing the gain into a range of headphone impedances –

8 Ohms 0.63 (-4dB) 16 Ohms 1.04 (0.37dB) 32 Ohms 1.55 (3.8dB) 64 Ohms 2.04 (6.2dB) 100 Ohms 2.31 (7.3dB) 150 Ohms 2.50 (8dB) 300 Ohms 2.73 (8.7dB) 600 Ohms 2.86 (9.1dB)

As the load impedance increases the gain increases to keep pace, and the net result is to keep the sound pressure level approximately similar.

If a headphone or in-ear device has a high sensitivity it will obviously be louder than a similar impedance device having poorer sensitivity.

All three of our headphone amplifiers use this technique. The Solo SRG II goes further using it for transmission line driving of the headphone cable with load sensing feedback. The Voyager gets as close to the transmission line driving technique as we can, but the limitations are the voltage supply because it’s a portable. Transmission line driving has the effect of cancelling some of the headphone cable influence which is another way of us helping our customers save money by not having to recable their headphones (unless they really want to). ”

And here is the part about the supply voltage: “Increasing the mains derived supply voltage will not lead to an improvement (unless the power supply has other good properties), the additional voltage would only serve the purpose of heating the voltage regulator inside the Voyager, its output being 9V to match the battery supply. Likewise the USB power is charge pumped up to 9V to give a seamless performance on any power option.”

I really appreciate Mr. Slee taking the time to provide us with a clear information straight from the source.

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Graham Slee Voyager Headphone Amplifier Review

Graham slee voyager headphone amplifier.

Give your MP3 player a boost!

Key Specifications

• Review Price: £179.00

If you’re serious about your home music, you’ll be accustomed to the notion that for the very best in sound quality, you have to invest in separates – a DVD player for video, a CD player for music, and a separate amp or multi-channel home theatre receiver to power a set of passive speakers.

High-end setups take this approach even further, separating the CD transport and digital to analogue processing, and the amplification stage into pre-amp and power amp modules, with the latter often split in two – one power amp per mono channel.

If this all sounds a little crazy, or too much like hard work, bear with me. Admittedly it’s not the most convenient setup for on the move use – the amp itself isn’t bulky per se, it’s about the same size as a medium-sized smartphone at 125 x 67 x 28mm, and quite light at 180g. But coupled with an iPod Classic, for instance, or similar hard disk player it turns a just-about pocketable solution into, well, one that’s not.

And it’s not just the bulk. An extra cable (included in the box) is required to link the amp to the headphone output on your MP3 player, which I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you is a pain when you’re on the move. Even a single, straggly headphone cable is liable to snag on clothing as you stand up and walk around. Two require thought to stow in a practical way.

It’s clear that this isn’t a product that’s intended for workout use. And neither is it one to draw admiring glances. The plain black box is more Maplin than design boutique, though it is highly practical. The box is both well-built and flexible: notably, you have a variety of ways in which you can power the device. It can be powered either by a supplied 9V alkaline or rechargeable battery, which is good for around 50 hours of continuous use, but it also comes with a plug top adaptor for connection to the mains at home or in a hotel room, and a mini-USB input, which allows you to draw power from a laptop or desktop PC.

But the real stars lie under the hood of the Voyager. Crack open the case and you’ll find a wealth of top quality components inside, from premium through-hole Nichicon capacitors, to an Alps volume pot and Jalco input/output jacks. The Analog Devices OpAmp is a pretty decent component too.

That’s all good, but where the Voyager truly excels is its sound quality. To be fair that’s to be expected at a price of £179, but you’d probably be surprised at exactly how much difference adding such a seemingly simple box of tricks can make.

I hooked it up to the Treksor Vibez player I reviewed last autumn, connected my Grado SR325i headphones and I was instantly impressed. Stacey Kent’s vocals took on such a creamy smooth texture that I thought I was listening to a valve amp. It’s a very warm-sounding amp, but this is not the sort of warmth that obscures detail. The piano on ”Plaintive Rumba”, played by the Peter Nordahl Trio, was as clear and sharp as shards of shattered glass – you almost hear fingers on the keys and hammers striking strings – while the rattle of the strings against the fretboard of the double bass was uncannily clear.

Moving on to something a little more modern, the opening to Biffy Clyro’s ”Living Is A Problem…” was delivered with the sort of head-pounding thwack that feels as if it would shake your specs off if you were wearing a pair. Take That’s more clinical, yet well-engineered pop, on comeback album ”Beautiful World”, took on a texture and atmosphere you just don’t hear when you switch back to a plain, unamplified MP3 source.

Maximum volume levels go up, of course, with a headphone amp, allowing the connection of high impedance studio headphones as well as easy-to-drive earbuds and noise isolation designs. But as well as going loud, this amp delivers dynamics, and it delivers them by the JCB scoop-load. The opening to Mahler’s ”5th Symphony”, for example, is a very difficult trick to pull off, requiring both subtlety and power, but the Voyager managed it without breaking sweat. The clarion call of the trumpet sounded clear and natural and the orchestral strike crashed in with and edge and power that I’ve never heard from an MP3 player on its own.

I also own a home-brewed headphone amp based on the popular CMOY design , and while the Voyager can’t match its sheer brute force and aggression it is far more forgiving and subtle, presenting the music in an unforced and ‘easier to listen to’ manner, yet without ever veiling the details.

And it’ll pull off its tricks no matter what source you connect it to. I tried the Voyager hooked up directly to the stereo outputs on my high-end rack-bound CD player – a Unison Research Unico CD – and it did just as good a job. This highly revealing source, which makes use of a hybrid transistor/valve design, can be painfully revealing and difficult to listen to when paired with the wrong kit. I can’t connect my CMOY headphone amp, for example, and listen to it for longer than a few minutes at a time, but with the Voyager the music is phenomenally involving and enjoyable. Hooked up to a PC, a Squeezebox and my home made DAC proved the point further with excellent performance in each case.

”’Verdict”’

There’s no denying that the Voyager is an expensive piece of kit. It’s not very practical or good looking either. And there are far more economic ways of beefing up your portable audio experience – if you’re happy to go with the DIY approach, you can buy a decent amp on eBay (such as the CMOY-based amp mentioned above) for a fraction of the price.

But if you want the best, at least in the world of high-end audio, you have to be prepared to pay for it, and this is undeniably there or thereabouts. For this level of quality, £179 to me sounds like a pretty good deal.

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Graham Slee Voyager Headphone Amplifier

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Portable Audio Bliss – Graham Slee Voyager Headphone Amplifier Review

In the age of iPods and on-the-go music listening, you can be hard-pressed to look around you on a crowded bus and not see at least a handful of people with their ears plugged into some sort of headphone. The trouble with this realm of audio is that it is convenient. What do I mean exactly? Well, the vast majority of consumers privilege convenience over quality; this is a large reason why most of the aforementioned music listeners will be listening to inexpensive, and unimpressive, earbuds.

Where am I going with this? Well, as it turns out, high-end audio manufacturers have taken notice of this trend and have been entering the portable audio world with increasing frequency in the past few years, providing consumers with equipment to maximize the on-the-go listening experience. Graham Slee, a small audio company from the UK, has done just that with their portable headphone amplifier, the Voyager.

Measuring 12.5cm x 6.7cm x 2.8cm, this small amplifier is roughly the same size as a now-discontinued iPod Classic, albeit a little thicker. In fact, this is the setup I use most often with the Voyager, as they fit perfectly on top of one another; I will get to that pairing later on. One thing at a time, after all. The amplifier is fully solid-state, with a frequency response stated to be from 13Hz to 32.5kHz. It can be powered from three different sources: users have the choice to tether themselves to a wall with the included power supply, feed power to the amp via a standard USB port (a mini-USB to USB cable is necessary for this, and is not included), or via a 9V battery, neatly tucked away inside the unit.

Construction of the Voyager is mostly high quality plastic, with an aluminum faceplate on the top of the unit which hosts the name of the amp, along with neatly-printed indicators for the two switches on the sides of the unit. These switches control the tone of the unit, which can be varied from flat to contoured, and the power source. There is no off switch – to turn the unit off, simply move the power switch to one of the sources that is not in use. Apart from these switches, and the compact volume control on the front of the unit, there are no other bells and whistles. The unit does one thing: powers headphones. And boy, does it do that well.

I evaluated the Voyager with several headphones, from my reference Sennheiser HD800s to the Ultimate Ears Reference Monitors. Sources ranged from my Apogee Duet audio interface to the aforementioned Apple iPod Classic. The Voyager is surprisingly powerful, driving the HD800s really well considering the size and price of the unit. The sound had weight and depth, and the soundstage was as expansive as I am used to on my home system, which is something that I wasn’t expecting. James Horner’s score for Avatar (256kbps, iTunes/Tidal HiFi lossless stream), for example, had all the detail and percussive power that I find so absolutely mesmerizing, with a soundstage that felt remarkably coherent, a solid centre focus and a depth of field that seated the orchestra right where it should be. I must admit, I had significant reservations when I plugged the 800s in for the first time, with them being so notoriously picky and all, but I not only listened for several hours that first session, I heard things in some of the pieces I listened to that surprised me; reverb tails, textures, separation and spacial placement that were nearly on par with amps three times its price. Remember that this is an amp you can stick in your pocket!

Being so small, the amp lends itself to portable use, which is where I use it most. The small stack that is the Voyager paired with the iPod Classic is about the maximum size my pocket can comfortably handle, but it is absolutely worth the added bulk. The warmth and spacial separation they give to my Ultimate Ears Reference Monitors while on the go is really something special. Pumping New Kids on the Block’s ‘Click, Click’ (CD, Interscope) had remarkable bass weight and definition in the vocal that I wasn’t expecting walking down the sidewalk. The stereo synth effects sparkled so well around the dead centre vocals, I actually stopped in my tracks and closed my eyes, transported away to another dimension, alone with the music. The same sort of transcendent experience happened when I was listening to the 2004 release of Star Wars Episode IV (CD, Sony Classical); There was a phenomenal moment where the texture and weight of a tuba from the back-right of the soundstage literally made me freeze as I walked into the office to start my workday. That texture wasn’t something I had ever heard before, and I stood, entranced, for the better part of two minutes, caught by the incredible detail and the amazing stereo placement of these instruments. It was as if I could see where the tuba was seated, cracking its bell with raw power.

For a solid-state amp, the Voyager sound is remarkably tube-like, adding weight and warmth, that thickness that one usually associates with tube-based amplifiers. I didn’t spend a whole lot of time with the contour control, but it certainly did its job, bringing a sparkle to the treble and additional bass weight down low without any hint of distortion. I can really see this feature being incredibly beneficial on less-capable gear; those notorious white earbuds that are so common would likely sound far more lively with this little switch, let alone being maximized by the other qualities of the amp.

Now, this is not to say that the amp is without fault. Left and right tracking balance does sway off to the right when playing at very very low levels; we are talking below 8 o’clock on the dial here. This is far from a deal-breaker, but it does mean that anyone who does listen quietly better get used to using a preamp; I, for one, never take the line out of my iPod Classic, instead opting to use the iPod’s headphone amp as a pre for the Voyager via an ALO Audio Copper 22 mini-mini portable cable. Yes, I do lose some resolution doing it this way, but it is far more comfortable for me.

Secondly, the chassis is plastic, not metal, so this is something to keep in mind from a durability point of view; that being said, it is one hell of a tough chassis! It still feels solid and refined despite the ABS casing, and the lack of scratching as compared to an aluminum case is certainly welcome. I have never had any issues whatsoever with my unit over the year and a half I have owned it.

Lastly, there is a tendency to get current pops when switching on and off, unplugging the headphones after powering off, and when engaging the contour control for the first time after powering the unit on. According to Mr. Slee himself, they are by no means destructive, since their amplitude is not enough to cause damage to the connected headphone. Additionally, if you turn the amplifier off and wait for about 30 seconds, the residual signal subsides and one can unplug or plug in without this annoying signal jolt.

A word about battery life – this is perhaps this amp’s greatest strength. When using an industrial grade 9V like the one that is preinstalled in the unit, I got over two months of daily use out of the amp before having to replace it. In fact, for the first year of its life, I didn’t replace the battery at all (I hadn’t made it a habit of running the amp on battery power, but this is still phenomenal). I am now using a rechargeable 9V in the unit, and I get perhaps 3 weeks of use per charge of daily use, which is not as impressive, but if battery life is a concern, you needn’t worry, provided you use the right 9V!

Graham Slee has really crafted something special with this amplifier; even if it is only a flavour you want to sample every now and again, it is so affordable that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it regardless. It has its flaws, and its sound may not appeal to everyone, but for what it offers, at the price point it sits, it is definitely a winner. I no longer go anywhere without mine, and that says more than all the prose I can throw at you.

http://www.gspaudio.co.uk/voyagerportableheadphoneamplifier.htm

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Graham Slee Voyager Headphone Amplifier

• Thread starter admin_exported
• Start date Jun 12, 2009
• Headphones & Audio Accessories

admin_exported

• Jun 12, 2009

Recently purchased a Graham Slee Voyager Headphone Amplifier along with a pair of hideously big but excellent sounding Auido Techinico AD700 headphones. The headphones are for my cabin and house. I use other headphones for travelling. WOW ! what a difference with the Voyager amp, giving a much warmer sound with a larger sound stage over the iPod. When I purchased this combo I deleted all my iTunes and re downloaded music in cd quality music files then onto a classic iPod. It really makes music much more enjoyable. However I would not say the Voyager amp is good for walking about the streets given you have to connect the iPod to amp amp to headphone.. The Voyager is about the same lenth as an iPod classic but is thicker. People who use trains or fly a lot and like me stuck in a cabin on a ship at night will think the Voyager is a God send. One of the best up-grades I have heard in a long time. Brilliant.  

Well-known member

Nice review I.D.C. I went onto the web to have a look at one and found this; http://www.audioaffair.co.uk/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=850&gclid=CMrAlvmdhZsCFVsA4wod4Ua7oQ which recommends using a Logic3 dock to connect ipod to amp. This is similar to the RA GQ-24, but cheaper. An Apple employee told me that the best sound was via the dock. Just an idea!  

• Jun 13, 2009
• Jun 14, 2009

What is the Garda range of headphones? Tried googling but no joy.  

Sorry about that idc I actually meant the Gardo range of headphones which look as if they have come out of a German U-boat from the Second World War. http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_ce?url=search-alias%3Delectronics&field-keywords=Grado+headphones&x=14&y=16  

Have you tried Grados at all? Their fit is odd with the on ear pads. I bought the larger Mickey Mouse ears as I did not like the supplied 'ring' pads. Compared to the Grados the AKGs feel huge, but they are very comfortable.  

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• Jun 17, 2009

The AKG 702s beat the Grado SR80s, but they should do as they a price point above. The most noticeable difference is soundstage, stereo imaging and separation between instruments, all of which are greater with the AKGs. Apparently the AKGs can take a YEAR to run in properly! Your comment about downsizing makes sense. We plan to move again, for the last time in another couple of years. Having a headphone system is going to make life far simpler. I fancy one of these outside offices to retire to with hifi!  

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Graham Slee Voyager Headphone Amplifier

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- Headphone impedance: 20 to 600 Ohms - THD+noise at 80Hz: 0.03%, 1kHz: 0.03%, 5.6kHz: 0.05%, 16kHz: 0.13% - Frequency response Flat: 5Hz to 70kHz (-3dB), Contour: +10dB at 45Hz and 20kHz - Connectors: Heavy Gold Plated/teflon insulated - Power sources: 9V Battery, Mini B USB, AC/DC mains adapter - 9V Battery Life: 50 hours continuous (2-3 weeks average use) - Casing: ABS and Polyester (Black) - Weight: 100g - Size mm: 67W x 28D x 125H

Product Description

The Graham Slee Voyager is a high quality portable headphone amplifier, developed over two and a half years by ex-broadcast engineer Graham Slee to improve and amplify the signal from your iPod, mp3 player, mac, laptop, etc - for home or portable use. The Voyager is even so close in size to an iPod Classic (and only 100g) that you can easily carry them together.

The Voyager has many uses. Use a 3.5mm to 3.5mm jack cable to connect it to any line level source - your mp3 player, minidisc player, portable DVD player, laptop, PC etc. However, to get a real boost in performance with an iPod, we recommend connecting to the iPod port socket, using the iPod port to 3.5mm cable, which bypasses the iPod's internal volume control.

Why use a headphone amplifier?

If you are new to the idea of a headphone amplifier, the logic behind this little wonder is that it not only increases the volume possible, but brings out the magic in the music. In many listening sessions, we noted significant improvements when using a Voyager; bass is more defined, the midrange is detailed and warmer and there is greater clarity in the treble.

Many headphone sockets are a cheap "last minute" additions. Add the Voyager inbetween and hear what you've been missing. Ear candy, pure and simple.

At home or on the move...

The Voyager is powered either by a UK mains adaptor (included), a standard 9V battery (included) or from any USB socket. The Voyager works well with most headphones and offers a slice of Graham Slee reference quality headphones listening for a very reasonable price, with the bonus of portability. It's also energy efficient - a single battery gives around 50 hours of listening pleasure.

Press Reviews

"...you get a full-bodied, solid sound that's well balanced and full of detail..."  (What Hi-Fi Magazine February 2009)

"It really shines as a portable headphone amp. It might not be the most practical thing ever, but it's packed with potential. You don't tend to think about headphone amplifiers being the most portable of objects, but with the Voyager, Graham Slee is challenging that view. Working off either mains or battery power, the Voyager is a solidly built, fairly slim plastic box, with a volume control knob, line in and headphone sockets, power source selector switch and tone contour switch. Plugged in, you get a full-bodied, solid sound that's well balanced and packed with detail. The tone contour switch adds brashness to the top-end when on 'contour' and makes for a wearing listen. With so many applications, the Voyager is a viable option for those seeking to upgrade their sound." (What Hi-Fi Magazine Awards October 2013)

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• Equipment Forums
• Portable Headphone Amps
• Thread starter Edoardo
• Start date Mar 7, 2009

500+ Head-Fier

I'm planning to buy one, but I found just a few photos on in the web... I don't understand what the "line in" stands for... Can I connect both an iPod or a RCA input there??? How is it possible? How does it work? Has it got some kind of gain control?  

New Head-Fier

Line in is for connecting to you source. For ipod you can use a LOD (better SQ) or IC (3.5 mm to 3.5 mm) to connect with headphone jack. for RCA, you need 3.5MM To Stereo Rca Cable.  

Line is input from your source, if you didn't have it the thing would be useless. As for ipod you would use LOD to 3.5mm cable. For standard equipment with stereo RCA then use stereo RCA to 3.5mm cable. The volume knob is the gain control. Pretty basic really.  

ok so I can use the same hole both for the ipod and CD player ? plug'n'play? Can I connect it also to the "rec-out" or to the "headphone out" of other amps I got at home?  

100+ Head-Fier

the headphone out will work, but it would be better to get RCA to 3.5mm cables and using RCA outs on the other amps since the signal is cleaner.  

You should not use headphone out to another headphone amp. If you buy that Slee you either need 3.5mm to 3.5mm, or ipod LOD to 3.5mm cable depending on the DAP. For home audio equipment 3.5mm to stereo RCA.  

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GRAHAM SLEE: Solo headphone amplifier – test review by Christopher Breunig

In December 2004, UK distributor HiAudio sent me a sample of Graham Slee’s Solo headphone amplifier for review in Hi-Fi News. The copy I submitted to Steve Harris coincided with his replacement as editor by Steve Fairclough – after several reminders it became apparent to me that he had no intention of publishing the piece, although in November 2005 the Slee Era Gold phono stage won a category award in the magazine and in the following year’s awards issue, in combination with the Elevator EXP it was also ‘highly recommended’..

Howard has very generously allowed me to log an updated text on his website, for anyone who for whatever reason prefers a moving coil headphone to the Stax electrostatics!

Christopher Breunig

Andrew Harrison’s November 2004 Hi-Fi News review of the GSP wideband cartridge pre-amplifier system, the Era Gold V and Elevator EXP, suggested that audio designer Graham Slee was capable of something rather special. And there is plenty of appreciative comment on his products to be found on the internet. I was delighted, then, to receive that Christmas his Solo Monitor Class headphone amplifier and it was put into almost every day use for many subsequent months.

I rather enjoy headphone listening (though not closed-back moving coils!) and the ones I use, the BeyerDynamic 990PROs, are a good tonal match with my main speakers, the original Quads. I have also seen these in studio use, for master tape monitoring. Sadly, this model is no longer imported and none of the company’s domestic-range alternatives are as good, in my view.

The Solo is available with a more basic wall-plug power supply module, the Solo Intro, at £333.49, or (as tested) supplied with the high grade PSU1 at a total of £480.00. This has a 1.5m captive DC lead with figure-of-eight termination. Uncommonly, the unit runs virtually silently.

Housed within a 107 x 164 x 45mm simple clamshell casing, the Solo is a Class A device based on the AD823AN op-amp. The circuit layout is minimalist. Slee’s current drive output is designed to produce the same power irrespective of headphone impedance., It is suited to a 20-600 ohm headphone impedance range and may be switched between two inputs – the fascia toggle also has a centre mute position.

Rear connections are via gold plated phonos (inputs are specified at 30kOhm impedance/325mV sensitivity); there is no facility for source signal out to the main amplifier/room speakers and you can only have one headphone connected (Jalco socket diameter 6.5mm). The casework has a silver anodised, sheeny finish which, if necessary, can be wiped with damp kitchen paper to remove any finger marks.

The Solo is equally suited to direct CD replay or low level sources and the ALPS volume control has a fine, smooth travel allowing tiny changes – just as well, given the wide range at which CDs seem to be mastered nowadays.

For best results, the Solo should be powered at all times (it has no on/off switch). From new, and with repeat play for a couple of days, my unit clearly improved further over a fortnight’s or more use. Indeed, even when left connected on standby I find it sounds best after around 20 minutes’ continuous listening.

Sound Quality:

This is certainly the most revealing device of its kind I have heard, apart from DNM’s new 3D pre-amp at fifteen times the cost! Its timing is excellent, whilst instrument locations within the soundstage are held in sharp focus at all dynamic levels. The Solo is particularly well defined in the lower registers – during a Bartók piano concerto recording on DG one loud bass drum entry literally startled me! The lack of coloration meant that cable or input differences (e.g. those between my Meridian 508-18 and -24bit players) were easily identifiable. The case underside is fitted with four small pliable hemispherical feet; I did not find that accessory feet or any special isolation platforms significantly enhanced the performance.

I tried various other BeyerDynamic models and the well regarded Sennheiser HD650 (which I wrote about in HFN Sept 2004): their sonic characteristics were always evident and subjective rankings remained constant, although with perhaps greater appreciation of their musical capabilities. I also enjoyed comparing CD and LP transfers of the same recordings at matched levels (by setting the pickup output gain from my main pre-amplifier and taking the signal to the alternative Solo input) and start-points – analogue was invariably preferred!

With the caveat that you might find the Solo almost too revealing (e.g., of close microphone setup, etc), a true audiophile product. My only reservation is that the green fascia LED is rather too bright!

See also: www.gspaudio.co.uk.

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Hi discrete badger,